


mad in pursuit and in possession so

by madrigan



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, devil reveal, marclo more like marcNO, when is deckerstar going to happen im so tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-22 21:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14317509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madrigan/pseuds/madrigan
Summary: "You might be the Devil," Chloe agreed, "but you're also my partner. And my best friend. And the man I love."The words were out her mouth before she could stop herself, and when she realised what she had said, she went wide-eyed in mortification and horror.





	mad in pursuit and in possession so

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this wouldn't let go of me. Title from Shakespeare's Sonnet 129.

Cain enjoyed working with his hands. He always had, since the first days. He bested Abel at almost everything: hunting, woodworking, engraving - the list could go on. And when they grew a little older, he was also the one who built the best weapons; sharp tools tipped with flint and stone. It was what his name stood for, after all - spear. But ever since that goddamned incident where he murdered his brother, he had come to detest the black mark his name carried.

 _Cain._ People everywhere would spit it like a curse, tramp upon the reputation of the first-born son of Man but exonerate his younger brother for his faults, praising him to martyrdom. And so, over the years, he took on a different name. Marcus, for hammer, and Pierce, for his origins. The tools of the trade.

It pleased him, the weight his new name carried. It was befitting for a man of his stature and the crime-solving persona he had taken on in the late 19th century. He enjoyed the way it inspired fear amidst the rum runners during Prohibition, the whispers amongst the _Cosa Nostra_ in New York at the height of their power, and he especially relished the way it sung out in the breathy gasps of men and women he took to his bed.

\--

The first time Marcus Pierce laid eyes on Chloe Decker, he was thoroughly let down. He couldn't deny that she was attractive, with her near-symmetrical features, shapely figure, and the way her eyes brightened when she got excited about solving a case. But aside from her general good looks, she didn't seem at all extraordinary. Still, Marcus decided to keep a close eye on her. By all accounts, Lucifer didn't think this woman was anything special when they first met, either.

He remembered the faint amusement he felt the first few times Chloe addressed him as _Lieutenant_. There was something oddly formal and stilted in her tone when she said it, as though she was trying to size him up and determine if he was worthy of her respect; of his title.

It was only after he took a (planned) bullet for her that she started being at ease around him. And it was only after they worked several cases together that he noticed her attraction to him, but he didn't bother feeling flattered. It had happened to him too many times to count, and while the Pierce of several years past would unhesitatingly plunge into several torrid nights with a woman that looked like Chloe, this time he had more important things to deal with. No distractions allowed.

He was determined to die, and Lucifer Morningstar was going to be the death of him. Literally.

\--

The first instinct he turned to when Lucifer decided to dissolve their 'unholy alliance' was anger. The Devil didn't just _back out_ on deals - it simply wasn't done. And besides, it was his damned righteous Father and idiotic obnoxious brother that placed this curse on him in the first place. In Marcus's mind, Lucifer's word was his bond, and he was obliged to fix this fuck up for him, by association to its origins or no.

In the weeks that followed Lucifer's abandonment of his promise, Marcus spiralled down a whole range of emotions - indignation, resentment, a general listlessness - and when he was all but ready to resign himself to fate, Lucifer's heroism at Lux spawned a spark of hope in him. And underlying that hope, he realised, was a simmering rage. A rage that burned with a fury that mere anger never possessed.

If Lucifer Morningstar wasn't going to help him die, he was going to make the man _wish_ he did.

\--

To her credit, Marcus mused, Decker was a difficult woman to woo. It was easy to get her to agree to dinner dates, breezy motorcycle rides, and drinks at a bar - but for some reason, the detective seemed hesitant to move beyond nights out and quick kisses.

It was the last part that gnawed away at him. Dates and drinks, Lucifer had gotten - but getting Chloe into bed? Marcus was confident that if he could achieve the one thing Lucifer never could, it would be the ultimate revenge. He tried, numerous times, to nudge her in the right direction. Every time she pulled away from a kiss, Marcus would chase after her lips. But any time their interactions turned too amorous, Chloe would pull back and bid him goodnight. In his frustration, he wondered if she was just shy - she didn't have to be, he had assured her one of those nights, she was a brilliant kisser. Chloe had gaped at him for a moment before she laughed in his face. It stung a little.

"I'm sorry," she responded with a wistful smile, "I just prefer to take things slow. I hope you understand."

The sincerity in her gaze as she said it meant he was helpless to do anything but nod. It was infuriating, but he could play the long con. If he had learned anything over millennia, it was that revenge was a dish best served cold. On the outside, Marcus decided to keep up the pretence of respecting Chloe's boundaries. But inwardly, he vowed that the next time he kissed her, he would do it in front of the Devil himself.

\--

It was a pleasant surprise that Chloe seemed receptive to his public displays of affection. And oh, how it _thrilled_ him to see the sharp stab of pain that lanced through Lucifer at every touch they exchanged, even though the man tried his best to hide it. The next step was to get her to remove the ghastly thing she wore around her neck. He didn't quite understand Chloe's attachment to it. She wore it on almost all their dates, her fingers always idly fiddling with it as though it brought her comfort. He detested it even more when he found out it was Lucifer's gift to her.

"Do all your friends give you jewellery?"

"This? Lucifer gave me this as a joke," Chloe offered him a smile, and tried to brush it off with an anecdote, but at the unconvinced look on his face, quickly turned away.

It wasn't difficult to manipulate her into taking it off, after that.

And it was even easier to dip into her coat to pocket it for himself. A trophy, Marcus smirked triumphantly. And now, to gloat.

\--

"You're not looking so good these days, Morningstar."

Marcus strolled into the empty club, where its melancholic owner was banging away on his instrument as though it could offer him some reprieve from the heartache he was experiencing.

When he didn't get a response, Marcus helped himself to a drink behind the bar. He made sure to pick a top shelf whisky label to rake on Lucifer's nerves even further. The stuff could fetch as much as a kidney on the black market.

"Words been going around that Lux isn't drawing in the crowds it used to, since its owner stopped promising deals and shags to every bloke and bint around the block."

Again, Marcus received no reply, save for the soft tinkling of notes that continued to issue from the gleaming grand piano. He walked towards Lucifer slowly and set his tumbler on the piano lid on the pretence of admiring his playing skills, before abruptly reaching out to shove the fallboard down. Lucifer barely managed to snatch his fingers away before it slammed over the keys with a resounding thud. He finally looked up at Marcus, but instead of the irritation the man expected, a blank, resigned mask was firmly in place on the devil's features, rugged and slightly unkempt from a lack of sleep and care.

Marcus's own annoyance grew as Lucifer stood and turned towards the elevator that would lead to his penthouse.

"Just where do you think you're going, Morningstar?" he barked.

Lucifer's measured strides didn't falter, and Marcus stalked to cross the distance between them. He grabbed the back of Lucifer's jacket roughly, preventing him from moving away, and dangled the bullet necklace in front of his face.

There was a moment where Lucifer went comically cross-eyed trying to focus on the swinging object, but when the moment of realisation struck, a swift, sharp intake of breath was heard, and a slow smile spread across Marcus' face.

"Look closely, Morningstar," he laughed coldly.

"That's your necklace I removed from my girl's throat. Do you know what it feels like having Chloe Decker under you, writhing and moaning and begging to be filled? Those gorgeous tits shoved in my face as she arched towards me. The utter lack of resistance when I took this from her naked throat. What do you think, Lucifer? What does the Devil _feel_?"

Marcus watched as Lucifer closed his eyes, took a deep breath to compose himself, and looked straight at him.

"She is not yours."

"What did you say?" Marcus flung the necklace away, where it clinked loudly as it landed, and his hand shot up to grab Lucifer around the scruff of his collar.

"I said, Chloe is not yours," Lucifer bit through clenched teeth, but otherwise showed little resistance at being manhandled.

"Oh, she's mine alright. I fucked her and made her scream my name as she came. She's _mine_."

"Chloe belongs to no one!" Lucifer roared, and shoved Marcus away from him, with enough strength that Marcus crashed into the grand piano, which splintered at once.

Chuckling darkly, Marcus rose and brushed wood chips off himself. "Now we're talking."

He leapt forward, and clipped Lucifer across his jaw with a right hook, then a left, before sending the nightclub owner staggering back with a boot to the chest.

"I won't participate in your foolish game," Lucifer growled.

"You will," Marcus promised, and pressed his assault, his punches landing on Lucifer with lightning swift accuracy. A well-placed fist to the gut had Lucifer bent over, choking in pain.

A knee to the groin, an elbow to the solar plexus, a swift strike at the throat - Marcus knew where to hit to hurt most, and if Lucifer's supernatural constitution wasn't in play, he would have long been dead.

"Fight back, you stupid motherfucker," Marcus cursed. Lucifer, bruised and battered, still managed to give him the finger.

Bellowing in anger, Marcus picked Lucifer up with ease, and threw him into the wall of liquor. Shards of glass rained down on the Devil, causing pinpricks of blood to well up on his skin. Marcus laughed again, and dragging Lucifer to the center of the ruined club, threw him down and stomped on his chest. A sickening crunch was heard. It must have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, because Lucifer's form suddenly shimmered and the blistered skin of the Devil took its place. A tired groan escaped his bleeding mouth, and Marcus could see the effort Lucifer took to restore his glamour, but he was too exhausted to keep it up.

Marcus let out a triumphant shout. It had been a long time since he felt this good. The Devil himself, the ruler of the Infernal regions, was beneath his boot, completely at his mercy.

"Did you think, for a single second, that someone like Chloe would ever want _you_? You, with your vices and excess and Daddy issues. You, with your disgusting appearance, and the weight of a thousand sins on your shoulders? You, with -"

"That's enough!"

Marcus went completely still at the voice, shock firing through his nerves. No, it couldn't be -

He looked up, and standing at the top of the stairs was Chloe Decker in the flesh, her expression cold and focused as her hands gripped her gun tightly. A gun that was aimed at him.

"Get away from him," Chloe commanded, taking the stairs slowly, her glare never leaving his face.

Marcus looked around wildly. He could salvage this situation, he thought, turn it to his advantage....

"Decker, don't come close, you're not safe!" He insisted, throwing his arms out. "I know it must be a shock, finding out that Lucifer is the Devil, but I have him under control. He tried to attack me, and - "

"I said, _get. Away. From. Him._ " Chloe hissed, and her fingers tightened around the trigger.

Marcus raised his brows, but backed away slowly.

Lucifer was panting on the ground, barely conscious now, but at the sight and sound of Chloe, made several abortive attempts once again to restore his glamour.

Chloe neared him, crouching down, and finally took her eyes off Marcus. Her gun was kept trained on him, but she stretched out a hand to brush Lucifer gently on the exposed, sinewed skin of his face. He let out a soft, wet sound at her touch.

"Lucifer? You there? Stay awake for me. Maze didn't return my calls, but I've paged Amenadiel and Linda. Dan's bringing a hospital unit over. They'll be here soon."

Her voice was infinitely gentle as she spoke to him, and Marcus let out a scoff. At once, Chloe's gaze darted to him, and her glare was back full force.

"Chloe, you can't be serious," he started, and she stood up again.

"I don't know who or - or _what_ you are, but I'm bringing you in," she narrowed her eyes. The sounds of sirens reached their ears, and Marcus put his hands up in submission.

"Fine, you got me."

"Chloe? Chloe? You in there?" Dan's harried voice called.

"We're here. Lucifer needs medical attention, now!"

That was when Chloe turned towards the door, and Marcus seized his chance.

He swung around heavily, his boot aiming for Lucifer's head, but it never reached his intended target. Chloe had thrown herself over Lucifer's prone figure, and Marcus's kick connected with her side.

She let out a startled grunt, then a stifled groan of pain, but it was enough for a wide-eyed Lucifer to snap into action.

Faster than he could react, Marcus found himself on his back, a razor-sharp wingtip at his throat. Lucifer's Devil face, contorted in pure rage, was a sight to behold, and Marcus felt a trickle of fear drip down his spine against his will.

"How DARE you hurt her. HOW DARE YOU!" Lucifer howled, an unholy cry that reverberated around the club. His wingtip pressed into Marcus's jugular, and Lucifer bared his teeth, ready to rip his throat out at the slightest agitation.

"Lucifer!" Chloe called, her hands tugging at his arms. He was immovable.

"Lucifer!" She said again, more urgently. When he still didn't respond, his fiery red eyes fixed on Marcus, she pleaded with him.

"Please, Lucifer," she breathed. "Please, you're hurt. Leave him. He's not worth it."

Lucifer's hand tightened around Marcus's throat briefly, before letting go, and as though the wind had been taken out his sails, collapsed back into Chloe's arms.

Dan and the medical team chose this opportune time to burst through the doors, and gawked at the carnage.

"Don't just stand there," Chloe snapped, "help him!"

Fortunately for all of them, Lucifer's glamour had asserted itself, and Chloe surmised that the appearance of his wings must have boosted his energy somewhat.

He was still breathing heavily, his lids shutting from time to time as though struggling to keep conscious, but he kept his fingers curled around Chloe's, and refused to let go even when they loaded him onto the ambulance.

"You - hu- hurt," he managed to gasp out, straining with the effort, and Dan, who was sitting beside them in the swaying ambulance, gaped.

"Chloe, you're hurt? Where?"

"Took a kick to the ribs. I'm fine."

"That's not fine! We'll get you checked out as soon as we get to the A&E," Dan insisted.

Chloe didn't bother with a reply, her attention completely focused on Lucifer, her fingers stroking his bruised face tenderly.

"I'm here, Lucifer," she assured him softly, "I'm here. it'll be okay."

\--

The first sensation Lucifer was aware of when he awoke was thirst. His throat was parched, his lips cracked, and his mouth tasted like sawdust. He blinked and opened his eyes to blinding sunlight, and turned away with a croak.

"Oh good, you're awake."

Mazikeen.

Her voice, so unlike Chloe's soothing, warm tone, was grating to his ears.

He let out another croak, and suddenly Linda was there.

"Of course, water! How thoughtless of us."

Lucifer felt the motors of the hospital bed whir as it pushed him into a seating position, and a cup was handed to him, a straw hanging over its lip. He downed the entire cup in a single breath, and gestured for more. When he had finished the whole jug, he cleared his throat several times, and voiced the only thought that had occupied him upon waking.

"Where's Chloe?"

"Safe," Maze answered, her tone curt and clipped.

Lucifer relaxed, then looked between her and Linda. There had been tension, between them and his brother - or so he had heard. He knew he had been absent, and he was remiss in the way he had treated all of them, but whatever unhappiness there had been, it seemed to have dissipated.

"Are the two of you..." he asked cautiously.

"We're fine," Linda answered, and shot a tentative smile at Maze. Maze returned it briefly, nodding, then turned back to Lucifer.

"Get up. We're heading to Lux. We have someone to kill."

"Maze," Linda sighed.

\--

The doctors had protested Lucifer's discharge, refusing to allow him to sign the papers until they ran a variety of tests in increasing disbelief. It was a miracle, they insisted. He couldn't have healed within a span of several days.

They were tiresome, and Lucifer was nothing but glad when they were finally hit the highway back to the club - a club which, as Maze had informed him as she drove, was restored to its original condition, all debris cleaned up, furniture replaced and alcohol restocked.

"Where's Chloe?" He asked again, softly. It wasn't Lux he was concerned about.

"She's at the penthouse," Linda replied. "She's fine, Lucifer," she assured.

He refused to let himself believe the Doctor until he saw the Detective with his own eyes.

\--

"Is he okay now, you think?" Chloe worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

Amenadiel prayed to his father for patience. This was the fourth time within the hour Chloe had asked him the question, and it was one she had constantly repeated over the past day. Dan let out a short chuckle.

"Chloe, leave the man alone. He already promised Lucifer would be fine."

"But you saw him," Chloe insisted. "He looked...."

"Like shit, yeah," Dan finished her sentence, "but I trust Amenadiel to know how fast Lucifer heals."

"You're both taking this very well," Amenadiel said suspiciously.

Dan sighed. "Look. I can't _not_ believe even if I wanted to, okay? I watched the surveillance tapes with Chloe. I saw the wings. The face. Everything. And I've spent the past few days freaking the fuck out. But then I remember that Maze has been living with Chloe and Trixie for ages, and you've been my friend for just as long - and I know if you guys wanted to hurt us, you could have done it long ago. I'm done freaking out."

Amenadiel looked touched by Dan's proclamation of trust, and was about to reply, when Chloe's phone vibrated from its position on the sofa. She leapt for the phone immediately, wincing as she clutched her ribs.

"How is he?" She asked tersely, not bothering with niceties.

Dan and Amenadiel watched her fraught expression, and when it relaxed, they did the same.

"It's Linda. Lucifer's fine, they're coming to Lux now."

Her voice was drenched in relief.

\--

When the elevator dinged at the penthouse level, Linda and Maze gestured for Lucifer to exit first. He emerged from the elevator shakily, hesitant as he looked around. Dan and Amenadiel were standing by the lift doors, and both gave him affectionate squeezes on the shoulder.

"Glad you're okay, man," Dan nodded.

"We'll see you soon, brother," Amenadiel grabbed him in an affectionate hug which Lucifer stiffened at, and watched in confusion as both of them crowded into the elevator where Linda and Maze were still standing.

Maze smirked at him and twiddled her fingers in approximation of a goodbye, before jabbing the 'close' button viciously.

"What -"

"Lucifer."

His heart stopped, and he turned around slowly.

There, standing in a pool of golden light, was Chloe, gazing at him with the softest look in her eyes. The sun filtered through her soft waves, picking out the blues and greens and greys in her gaze, highlighting the peachy undertones in her skin, the plumpness of her lower lip, and -

He breathed, and the world started again.

She was in his arms the next second, her head pillowed against his chest and her fingers splayed across his back.

For a second, Lucifer wondered if this was some grand illusion conjured up by one his hellish torture chambers, but he was certain that no machination in hell would ever be able to replicate this - this feeling of Chloe's warmth against him, the scent of her hair in his nose, his head, permeating his very being - the gentle rise and fall of her chest pressed to his, and the raw, unadulterated need he only ever felt when his soul touched the edges of hers.

But if this wasn't hell, then it couldn't be heaven either - he was certain nothing there had ever felt this good in his existence.

No, this was real, and Chloe was real, and she was in his arms.

"Lucifer," she said again, nudging him to return her embrace.

He allowed his arms to finally come around her, and he nuzzled his face into her hair, breathing in greedily.

Yes, this was real.

\--

They stood there for several minutes, hours - an eternity, or seconds - it felt like all of the above to Lucifer, and he never wanted to let go, but he felt Chloe sniffle against him, and the tell-tale dampness of his shirt was enough for him to pull away in concern.

"Detective?" He murmured, and when she looked up at him with a face streaked in miry tracks, his worry skyrocketed.

"What's wrong?" His thumb brushed away her tears, and she gave him a watery smile for it.

"It's all my fault," she whispered.

Before Lucifer could protest, she shook her head and pressed on.

"No, listen. It's my fault. All of it. I should have listened to you. And believed you. And I should never have dated Pierce. Cain. Whatever his fucking name is. I was so blind, Lucifer."

"It's not your fault," he insisted. "I never gave you enough proof for you to believe me, did I? I was going to show you my face, but it was taken away from me, and now it's back - and I don't know how - but that's me. My true self. I was scared, Detective. I didn't want you to run from me screaming. Anyone else - I wouldn't have given a rat's arse. But not you. Never you," he finished, his mouth turned down in a moue.

"I've seen it," Chloe acknowledged, "and I didn't run, and the only person I wanted to scream at was Pierce."

"I should have warned you about him," Lucifer grimaced. "I didn't know - I thought he was genuinely courting you."

"You did warn me," Chloe reminded. "You told me to be careful."

"I should have done more, before he could - take advantage of you," Lucifer muttered, turning his head away.

"Hey, hey," Chloe consoled, her hand on his cheek, tilting his face back towards hers. "He and I never got that far."

Lucifer blinked. "But he said -"

"Don't believe anything that bastard says," Chloe gritted, "we watched the tapes. Not a single word he said was true. Do you understand, Lucifer? Not a single word."

She was looking at him intently now, and slowly, he nodded.

"Good," she smiled, wiping away the last of her tears, and pulled back, looking at him properly.

"How are you feeling? Have your wounds healed? Maze filled me in. She told me you would get better, if I left."

Lucifer allowed her hands to rove over his body, checking for bruises and scars, all the while just drinking in the sight of her.

"Sorry about your shirt," Chloe pressed at the spot over his heart, where she had buried her face, and Lucifer's hand reached out to keep it there.

She looked up at him, and when their gazes connected, the world seemed to still again.

Chloe was the one who broke the charged silence, first with a chortle, then a self-deprecating laugh.

"What is it?" Lucifer asked, puzzled.

"Now _that_ was a moment."

"A - a what?" Lucifer furrowed his brow.

"A moment. A real one. Nothing like the ones I had before - with Pierce."

"Oh," Lucifer frowned, an automatic response to the mention of the world's first murderer.

"You know, it's funny," Chloe scoffed. "I actually thought I had a connection with him. But it was fleeting, and I couldn't sustain it - I kept comparing him to you, and he never measured up, and it frustrated me so much that I blinded myself to the rest of his flaws. There were just things he did, or said, that never sat right, but I ignored all of it, because I was afraid to look too hard. I was afraid that if I looked, I'd eventually realise that he was nothing but a poor substitute for you."

Lucifer stared at her, speechless.

Chloe was undeterred, and continued, "I'm sorry, Lucifer. I'm sorry for everything I said and did and how I've hurt you. Will you forgive me?"

When he still didn't reply, the first stirrings of anxiety curled in the pit of her stomach.

"...I mean, you don't have to. I didn't really expect you to, and I understand, but I just want you to know I'm truly sor-"

"Only if you'll forgive me, Detective," Lucifer interjected, "for not being honest with you sooner, for bluffing and pushing you away, for not interfering even when I knew something was wrong - and for - for everything else."

Chloe had to huff out a laugh, at that, and nodded.

"Done."

"Shall we shake on it?" Lucifer asked, the teasing that was so secondary to his nature returning to him, and _oh_ , how she'd missed it. Missed _him_.

"I've got something even better," Chloe grinned, and drew the bullet necklace out her pocket, where she had kept it after retrieving it from the club and having it polished.

She handed it to Lucifer, and turned around, lifting her hair away from her neck.

"Put it on for me?" She asked.

"Of course," Lucifer replied quietly, and she wished she could see his face.

"Where did you find it?" He asked, as he worked on fastening the clasp.

"I watched Pierce toss it in the club and went looking for it, after."

"There, all done," Lucifer laid a soft kiss on her nape, and a bolt of electricity shot down Chloe's spine.

She straightened at once, and whipped around, but Lucifer didn't seem to have noticed her reaction to his touch, still smiling benignly.

"I could use a drink," he admitted, looking towards the crystal decanter that sat on his bar.

"So could I," she laughed, walking towards it, and winced slightly.

 _That_ , Lucifer noticed.

"Your ribs," he asked, and Chloe was quick to reassure him.

"The doctor looked at it, she said it's only bruised, not broken. It'll heal naturally in a week or two."

His eyes darkened. "When I get my hands on Cain...."

"I'd like to see that happen myself," Chloe's tone was full of contempt. "We've been looking for him since that night. He slipped away when the medics came in, and we haven't been able to track him since. We've put out a BOLO, and Interpol has issued a red notice."

"Maze?" Lucifer questioned. "Has been looking for him, but she didn't want to leave until she was sure you were okay," Chloe took the snifter from Lucifer's hands, and took a tentative sip of the cognac, before finding it to her taste and taking a bigger quaff.

Lucifer smiled at her appreciation of the fine vintage, before his expression sombered.

"Detective," he started, then hesitated. "Why were you there that night?"

Chloe set the glass down, and reached out for his hands.

"That day, at the station, Pierce made an offhand comment about the necklace. I didn't think much of it at first, but now I know he was trying to get me to take it off. And it worked. I took the necklace off and put it in my pocket. But when we - " here, Chloe grimaced, "- kissed, I felt him reach into my pocket. He was very stealthy about it, really. But we're trained to notice these things, at the academy. I gave him the rest of the day to return it, and when he didn't, I traced his number and it led to Lux. That's when I knew something was wrong. And when I entered the club, I saw him standing over you - I didn't recognise you at first, until he said your name -"

"And then you saved me," Lucifer finished, squeezing her fingers lightly.

Chloe made a noise of protest, but Lucifer wasn't letting it go.

"You saved me, Detective. Why would you do it, knowing what I am?"

"I could ask you the same," Chloe laughed, but it was brittle, and her eyes had taken on a luminous sheen again.

"How can you stand to be near me, knowing I make you vulnerable? Why would you save me over and over again - no, don't deny it, I forced it out of Maze and Linda - despite the danger you're in?"

Lucifer opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He looked away uncomfortably, clearly working to confront his feelings.

Chloe blinked her tears away furiously. "You died for me, Lucifer. Twice. And several nights ago, you almost died again, because of me. I'm not worth it."

At this, Lucifer snapped his gaze back to hers. "Don't ever say that, Detective. Don't ever say you're not worth it. You're worth a million lifetimes I could live - and more. Which other human in this world can say they willingly threw themselves in front of the most wretched creature in this Universe? Who would think to defend the Devil? And yet you didn't hesitate."

"You might be the Devil," Chloe agreed, "but you're also my partner. And my best friend. And the man I love."

The words were out her mouth before she could stop herself, and when she realised what she had said, she went wide-eyed in mortification and horror.

She chanced a glance at Lucifer, praying that he would gloss over the fact, but instead he was looking at her like.... like she was _everything_. Her breathing stuttered a little at the immensity of the fact.

“ _Chloe_ ,” her name echoed on his lips like a benediction, and a blush spread over her cheeks, making its way down her neck. She didn’t think it possible, but he looked even more enraptured by the fact, and she had to look away for fear of succumbing to the intensity in his gaze.

"Chloe," he whispered again, in hushed tones, as though the act of speaking her name was sacrosanct, and his fingers grasped her chin, tilting her face towards him.

"Did you mean that?" He asked.

"Of course I did," she breathed.

The smile he gave her in return dazzled her with its brilliance, and she thought for a moment she saw him glow.

"Chloe, oh Chloe," he murmured, "I love you, more than you know," and then his lips were on hers, and all coherent thought flew out her mind.

He kissed her with a tenderness that had her melting into him, like he had been waiting an eternity to pour out his soul through her lips, like it was the first time and the last, and with a sigh she threw herself into his embrace with equal fervour.

He had forgotten what it felt like, Lucifer thought, to have her lips pressed against his. He had replayed the scene by the beach more times than he cared to admit, carefully going over every breathy gasp she made, the way her fingers curled around his jaw, and the way she tucked himself into his larger frame - but nothing in his memory could compare to the reality of the present moment. She was sweeter than the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge - a pomegranate, not an apple - sweeter than the elation of first flight, sweeter than the victory he felt at raising his own army against the might of the heavens, and she filled him with an ecstasy that outstripped all the pleasures he had sampled in his life combined.

In that moment, he resolved never to let himself forget what this felt like - he would kiss her every day, every hour, every minute and second, if only to sear the feeling of his lips against hers into the very brand of his soul.

\--

"What's taking them so long?" Maze growled, and made to stalk towards the lift, only to be stopped by Linda.

"Give them some time, Maze. They have too much to work through."

"They better be fucking up there if they're making us wait," she huffed.

Dan choked on the IPA he was downing, and Linda blinked at the imagery, then shook her head to clear it.

The elevator chose that moment to ding, and all of them swivelled their heads in the direction of its occupants, who emerged with twin smiles that they tried (and failed) to hide.

"Ooh," Maze purred, taking in Chloe's glowing complexion and visibly kiss-swollen lips.

She strode over to them, leaning in for a sniff, before frowning and making a sound of annoyance.

"Ugh, you guys didn't even have sex."

Chloe balked. "We - what?"

"Sex, Decker. Do I need to explain it to you? Copulation. The act of rutting like animals. The part where Lucifer sticks his di - "

"Maze!" "Okay, stop!" "Please don't finish that sentence." A chorus of protests went up from Linda and Chloe, and the final plea from Dan, who looked like he was about to turn a different shade of pale. Amenadiel looked uncomfortable, and quickly gulped his cosmopolitan to distract himself.

"Whatever," she shrugged, then leaned in to stage-whisper to Chloe, "you'll be doing it soon enough anyway. And trust me, Decker, I'll know when you've done the deed."

Chloe turned scarlet, then stammered, "don't we have more important things to talk about?"

"Yes, important things!" Lucifer chimed in, glaring at Maze as he tried to shield them from further scrutiny.

"You got it baaaad Morningstar," Maze sing-songed, but turned back to the group.

"Alright, losers - not you, Linda - here's my game plan."

She produced a map from behind the bar, and laid it out on the club's center table for them to see.

"Now, my sources tell me Cain is here," she jabbed at a county in West Virginia, and the rest of the room stared.

"Elizabethtown, Wirt. Population of eight hundred." Dan had pulled up a quick Google search.

"What could Cain possibly be doing in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere?" Lucifer was baffled.

"Who the fuck cares?" Maze slammed her palm onto the table, causing the rest of them to jump. "Point is, we know where he is. Shouldn't be difficult to locate him, exactly. I'll just follow the stench of his murderous soul." She grinned wolfishly.

"And what are you planning to do, once we find him?" Amenadiel crossed his arms.

"We? There's no 'we'. I do the legwork, therefore I get to have the fun."

"What 'fun' would this be?" Linda piped up, already knowing she would regret the answer.

"Well," Maze pursed her lips, making a show of considering, "I was thinking we could sever his head from the rest of his limbs - legs, arms, torso, dick...."

All the men in the room winced.

"And then scatter his parts around the world. I'd toss his head into the Mariana trench. Let's see how long it takes for him to reassemble this time," she cackled.

"I don't know," Amenadiel frowned, "what if he sprouts a new body from each limb? We'd have dozens of Cainites running around."

"This isn't the Lernaean Hydra, brother, don't be ridiculous," Lucifer sniped.

"Wait, you all talk like you're actually considering this," Dan interrupted.

"Why not?" Lucifer was perplexed. "It's a sound plan."

"You're talking about the murder and dismemberment of a man!"

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Did you miss the part where Cain cannot _die_? If he cannot die, we cannot kill him, ergo, not a murder."

"Chloe?" Dan looked to her weakly.

Her face was impassive, but her gaze was resolute.

"I'm coming with you, Maze. But we're not going to hurt him."

She was already walking in the direction of the garage, and Maze was about to throw her hands up in disgust, until Chloe said, over her shoulder, "at least, not the way you think."

Maze hurried after her, brightening at the prospect of a different method of torture.

"Chloe? Chloe!" Dan called, also running after them.

"I can't believe this," Lucifer grumbled, and followed.

\--

The flight from LAX to West Virginia was torturous. The choice of airlines was limited, and even sitting in first class didn't make up for it. Lucifer grumbled the entire way, and while Chloe didn't do so, she commiserated with him inwardly.

"You know, I could have flown us there," he had whispered into the shell of her ear, while they were waiting to board their connecting flight, "Morningstar Airlines, and you'll get an exclusive seat in the cockpit, darling."

She had let slip a laugh at his terrible come-on, and his eyes had brightened at the sound.

"You'd have tired out," she whispered back, her fingers securely tucked into the crook of his arm as she leaned into his warmth.

"The two of you are gross," Maze wrinkled her nose, but Chloe saw her secret smile as she turned away.

\--

They didn't pause to rest at Charleston, instead opting to hop into the rented car right away. To Chloe's chagrin and Maze's delight, Lucifer had rented a 911 Turbo that screamed 'look at me!' wherever it went.

"This isn't my idea of inconspicuous," Chloe sighed, as she slid into its plush leather interior.

"This baby was built to be admired, Decker," Maze crowed, as she commandeered the backseat and spread out as far as its limited capacity allowed. Lucifer took a brief moment to acquaint himself to its numerous controls, and smoothly pulled away from the curb.

"Don't fret, kitten. We'll be there in just under an hour with this."

"I prefer to arrive with all my limbs intact," Chloe muttered, and he flashed her a grin.

\--

They made a brief stop at a gas station for Chloe to check in on Trixie and Dan, and as they waited for her to wrap up the call in the car, Lucifer had addressed Maze.

"Thank you for this, Maze. I know I've been neglecting our friendship lately. Let me try to make it up to you, one way or another."

His eyes remained attentively tracking Chloe as she walked around in circles talking to Trixie.

"I'm not doing it for you," Maze snorted from the backseat, and the crinkle of foil wrapping told him she had moved on to a new bag of popcorn.

"I know," he acknowledged, "but thank you, regardless."

\--

They screeched to a stop in front of the town hall, and Lucifer had barely put the Porsche in park before Maze hit the ground running.

"Maze, wait!" Chloe yelled, but the demon only picked up speed.

"She can be like a hell hound on a hunt," Lucifer said affectionately, getting out the car and stretching his legs.

\"Please tell me she won't actually chop him into pieces," Chloe turned her doe-eyes on him, wide and pleading, and Lucifer stared at her adoringly, his gaze lingering on her full bottom lip.

"Lucifer!" She snapped.

"Yes, darling?" He smiled, completely guileless, and she sighed.

\--

Marcus was carefully sharpening his wooden spear, thrusting it into the fire he built to harden its point, when he heard a strange thumping from outside. He paused, head cocked to one side, before he determined that they were heavy footfalls, as though someone or something was moving at high speed. He barely had time to look towards the door of the shed when Maze burst through, with all the fury of a demon scorned.

"CAIN!" She roared, and tackled him to the ground.

Marcus threw up the spear to defend himself, but Maze snapped it in half with one hand.

"You're fucking kidding, right? Using this twig to defend yourself?" She laughed harshly.

"I wasn't building it for defense," he snarled, then threw her off him.

"Back to being Lucifer's lapdog, are you? I thought you were on my side," he narrowed his eyes.

"I was, until you hurt Chloe," Maze affirmed.

"You knew what I was going to do," Marcus snorted.

"I wasn't talking about the relationship, dumbass. I knew Chloe would never fall for you. She's too smart," Maze sneered, "you hurt her, you bastard."

What in blazes was she - oh. Marcus grimaced. The kick in the ribs.

"I'm sure Chloe's fine," he grouched.

"That's not the point," Maze smirked viciously. "No one - and I mean no one, hurts Chloe on my watch. But you did. And now you're going to regret it."

\--

Chloe and Lucifer had tracked Maze's phone to a cabin in the middle of the woods, and as they neared the clearing, found her sitting on a tree stump, calmly cleaning her blood-soaked knife.

"He's in one piece," she shrugged, at their questioning glances, and flicked her knife in the direction of the cabin.

Carefully, Chloe rounded it, her gun out, and Lucifer brought up the rear, eyes flicking from side to side alertly.

At the sight that greeted her, her jaw dropped.

Lucifer let out a gleeful shout. "Oh Mazikeen, this is brilliant!"

Maze had managed to hammer together a crude approximation of a cross, and had affixed Cain's limbs to its posts, in a twisted rendering of the crucifixion.

She'd gone as far as to make sure there was a crown of thorns on his head, and a wooden spear jutted out his side, bleeding profusely.

Cain's breath rattled with every inhalation, and his limbs twitched with pain. His body was covered in welts, and Chloe winced at the sight.

"She did a number on you, Maze did," Lucifer cheerfully remarked, looking up at him.

Chloe had walked right up to the post, and observing its construction carefully, kicked at its base, testing its foundations. The cross teetered, clearly unstable. The motion caused Cain to jolt in agony.

"Lucifer, come help me get him down," Chloe gestured, and Lucifer looked flabbergasted.

"Detective!" He cried, and Chloe turned her glare on him.

"Get him down, I can't speak to him like this."

Lucifer sighed, and shoved the cross in one hard motion, causing it to fall apart. Cain let out a loud groan as his wounds were antagonised, and Lucifer reached out to wrench each nail from its place, so the man had full motion of his limbs once more.

"Thank you," Chloe nodded at Lucifer gratefully, her hand on his elbow.

He softened. "Anything for you, darling."

She smiled at him, then stalked over to Cain, crouching down to make sure he could hear every word she was about to say.

"Listen here, _Marcus_ ," Chloe spat, "you lied to me, manipulated me, and _used_ me to hurt Lucifer. Everything you did is unforgivable, but for the last one, you deserve eternal punishment. I hope you live forever. And I hope you _suffer_ for it. Death is too good for someone like you."

"I never - pegged - you - as - the - cruel - type, Decker," he managed to breathe out, his features still twisted in agony.

"Funny," Chloe scoffed, "I could have said the same for you. I thought you were a good man, Marcus. And I think, a very long time ago, you might have been. But while some of us turn bitter from hardship, others turn better. I could have chosen you, if you had allowed me to know the real you."

"Please," Marcus said derisively, "I never stood a chance."

Chloe paused, tilted her head and considered his words, then nodded.

"You know what? You're right. Because you lied to me from the start. And I know a man who has never lied to me. A man who's better than you'll ever be. And I choose him. I'll always choose him."

With that, she turned and stalked away.

Lucifer straightened his suit jacket, clearly pleased by her words, and looked down at Cain triumphantly.

"You're not looking so good these days, Cain," Lucifer parroted his words back at him, and nudged the spear further into his side with the toe of his shoe. His grin spread further at the man's anguished cry.

"Don't come near my family ever again, if you know what's good for you," he warned, his eyes flashing red for an instant, before he turned to follow Chloe.

\--

"Are we done here?" Maze asked, bored, as Chloe approached her.

"Yes, we are," Chloe affirmed, the weight of the events from the past few days crashing down on her all at once.

Lucifer was by her side in an instant, his fingers curled around hers, and she returned it with a tired, but happy smile.

"Let's go home, guys. All of us."

"Home," Lucifer echoed, and looked down at her, his gaze deep and earnest. They were lost in each other's eyes for a long moment, before Maze's shout broke them from their reverie.

"Come on!" She hollered. "Or I'm driving off without you sappy lovebirds!"

They laughed, and arms linked with each other's, followed Maze home.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure I have to explain this, but the reason Maze reacted so strongly to Chloe's physical injury instead of the emotional duress Cain's manipulation must have caused is because - from my point of view - Maze is still new to this entire business of 'feelings' and 'caring', and to her, a physical manifestation of pain is more identifiable and obvious than an emotional one - at least at this point. I've got to explain her partnership with Marcus SOMEHOW. I don't believe the writers made a good decision with it. Maze's loyalty is unquestionable, even to those she barely knows, like Ella - and the way she protected Chloe from that car-bomb Charlotte tried to plant? She's definitely ride or die. Anyway....back to my essays!


End file.
